Matthew Perry’s drug battle - and the tragic reason he couldn't watch Friends
Matthew Perry, the much-loved actor known for playing Chandler Bing in the hit TV sitcom Friends, has died at 54.
Perry drowned at his Los Angeles home, sources including a representative for the actor and law enforcement confirmed.
After small roles in Growing Pains, Beverly Hills 90210, and Dream On, his 10 seasons on "Friends" made him one of Hollywood's most recognisable actors, starring opposite Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer as a friend group in New York.
As Chandler, he played a sarcastic yet insecure and neurotic roommate of Joey and Ross, played by LeBlanc and Schwimmer respectively.
But after the show's success, Perry revealed years later that he couldn't bring himself to watch the hit comedy series Friends, despite his star role.
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Matthew Perry battled drug and addiction struggles (2021 WarnerMedia Direct)Matthew Perry made a point to discuss his battle with drug and alcohol addictions throughout the years that he starred in the show - in a bid to help others who struggled.
In his memoir, he admitted that he struggled to watch the show because it reminded him of the tough times he went through.
“I didn’t watch the show, and haven’t watched the show, because I could go, drinking, opiates, drinking, cocaine,” he later added.
“I could tell season by season by how I looked. That’s why I don’t wanna watch it, because that’s what I see.”
As well as being able to work out what drugs he was taking during each season, he also commented on how his appearance on the series makes it hard for him to watch.
“I was taking 55 Vicodin a day, I weighed 128 lbs, I was on Friends getting watched by 30 million people — and that’s why I can’t watch the show, ‘cause I was brutally thin',” he said.
“I had a rule that I would never drink or do drugs while working,” Matthew said.
Matthew has also talked about his struggles with fame (ABC News)“Because I had too much respect for the five people I was working with. So I was never wasted while working.”
Although he added: “The thing that always makes me cry... is that it’s not fair. It’s not fair that I had to go through this disease while the other five didn’t.“
But he did say how he would often turn up to work "extremely hungover", where he said he was shaking so much that he had to try and hide his shaky hands from the camera.
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The show came to an end in 2004 after 10 years, which saw the group of pals say their goodbyes to the audience as well as each other.
In his memoir, Matthew said how while everyone was "sobbing" over the final, he was "numb" and felt "nothing".
He said he felt 'numb' when the show finished (NBC via Getty Images)
He said he wants to one day be able to watch it (NBCUniversal via Getty Images)He said he couldn't work out if the numbness was because of the heavy cocktail of drugs he was taking, or because he was "generally dead inside".
Matthew did say that he hopes to one day be healed enough to watch the show back someday soon.
In a chat with CBC he said: “I think I’m gonna start to watch it, because it really has been an incredible thing to watch it touch the hearts of different generations.”
*Frank offers confidential advice about drugs and addiction (email [email protected], message 82111 or call 0300 123 6600) or the NHS has information about getting help.
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